Chapter 11

When they arrived at the diner Marissa had volunteered to go and talk to her boss for him, but he didn't want to get the job just because Marissa had convinced her boss to give it to him. He didn't want to get it by charity.

Not longer then two minutes later he walked back out of the diner and to her car. "What, why aren't you inside?" She asked him, confused as to why he came back out that soon. "Wasn't he around?" She continued to ask.

"Yeah, he was" Ryan said. "He just—" He started when Marissa cut him off.

"Didn't give you the job" She finished for him. "I can't believe him. We need more staff around and he usually doesn't care about if we have a clean sleet or not. I mean, it's not like he does" She said. "I should go in and talk to him"

"What, no" Ryan stopped her.

"Yes Ryan. He isn't being fair to you—" She started. Now it was Ryan's time to cut her off.

"Marissa, he gave me the job. I start next Monday" He said.

"Wait, what?" She said, confused. "What do you mean, then why were you only in there for a minute?" She asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I asked for the job and he just looked at me and said yes" He said. "I told him that I'd had a few 'run in's with the police but he didn't care." He added. "And he was busy so I just left before he could change his mind"

"Oh" She said, laughing awkwardly. "I thought he'd turn you down or something" She said. "So, you start Monday, right? And will you be working all days of the week? What will be your working hours?" She rambled on.

He laughed a little. "Yes I start Monday, and no, I won't be working on weekends, unless he needs me to. And I work from 7 to 2" He told her. "Then I've got therapy at 3"

"Okay, that's cool" He said. "I only work every other weekend and usually only in the evening so I guess we won't be working together then" She said, putting on a sad look.

He smiled at her. "Then you won't be there to laugh at me when I screw something up"

"Don't worry about that 'cause I'll just come more often as a customer and specially ask for you to serve me" She said smirking at him.

"You're so nice to me" He said, shooting her a half smile.

She smiled back at him. God how she loved that smile. She looked in his eyes and saw that he was doing the same. She glanced down at his lips and back to his eyes. She started leaning in a little.

He saw her starting to lean in closer and his smile faded off his face. When they were only inches apart he heard her cell phone start to ring.

She moved away from him and looked for her cell in her purse. "Great" She thought to herself. When she finally found her phone she looked at the id and answered. "Hey dad"

While she continued to talk to her dad, Ryan looked out of the window awkwardly. He tried not to listen in to her conversation but it was hard as she was sitting this close to him.

"Okay, I'll be there soon. Love you, bye" He said as she hung up on the phone. She looked over at Ryan. "I'm sorry about that" She said. "It was my dad…he wants to tell me something" She said.

He nodded his head. "Okay" He said.

"So I'm gonna go over there now" She said. "Do you want to come with me? I understand if you don't after everything with my mom but I can promise you that my dad's a lot nicer" She smiled.

"It's okay" He said. "But you probably want to talk to him alone—"

"No, I want you to meet my dad. He's like my best friend" She told him.

"Okay" He said unsure. He had never met any girl's parents before, other than Theresa's, and now he was about to meet her dad. He'd already met her mom and it hadn't gone that good. "But you're just friends, so you're just meeting you're friend's father" He assured himself.

"Okay, great" She said excited as she started to drive to her dads little apartment.

A few minutes later they got to his apartment building and got out of the car. "Are you sure you don't want me to wait in the car?" Ryan asked her as they were about to go through the front door of the building.

"Yes, I want you to meet my dad" She said. They walked down the hall and when they got to his apartment she opened the door and called for his father. "Dad?" They both walked in and a few seconds later Jimmy walked down the stairs.

"Hey kiddo" He said as he walked over to her and embraced her in a hug.

"Hey dad" She said, hugging him back.

He pulled away from the hug and looked at the boy that stood there awkwardly by the door. "Hey, I'm Jimmy" He said to the boy.

Ryan walked closer to them and introduced him for her dad. "Ryan" He said as he stuck out his hand which he took.

Jimmy turned to Marissa and saw that she had gone to the fridge. She took out a bottled water. "Dad, you want anything to drink? Ryan?" She said as she turned around to face them.

"No, I'm good" Ryan said.

"Yeah, me too" Jimmy told her.

"Okay" She said as she walked over to the dining table and sat down. "So dad, what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked him.

He looked at Ryan and to Marissa before saying anything.

Ryan saw that and said to him, "I can leave if you want"

"No, it's just… you look so familiar" He said. "What did you say your last name was?" He asked.

Marissa saw the tensed look on Ryan's face. She wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it so she decided to help him out. "Dad, he didn't tell you his last name" She said. "But what did you have to tell me?"

Ryan smiled thankfully at Marissa. "It's okay" He then turned to Jimmy. "It's Atwood"

"You're Jack's son" He said. Ryan just nodded. "What are you doing in Newport? Visiting your grandmother?" He asked him.

"Yeah, something like that." He said. "I'll be staying with her for a while"

"Uhm, dad" She called out. "Over here" She said, waving her hand which made Ryan laugh.

"Yes, Marissa?" Jimmy said, his attention all on her now.

"You called me 'cause you needed to talk to me about something and you're just talking to Ryan" She said, putting on a hurt expression.

Jimmy laughed slightly and walked over to her and sat down in the chair opposite her. "You remember when I told you I might get promoted?" He said.

"No," She said not knowing, and with her reply Ryan laughed slightly. "but you did? That's awesome." She finished not noticing Ryan laughing.

"I feel so loved. My own daughter doesn't even listen to me" Jimmy joked.

Marissa glared at her father. "But, as good new that that is, was that the only thing you were going to tell me?" She asked him.

"No," He started. "but if I'm boring you, you can always just leave. I guess I can just wait a day or two to tell you" He finished knowing how impatient she was.

"No, it's okay. You can tell me now" She said, trying to sound like she didn't care about what he had to say.

Jimmy smiled at his daughter. "Okay, so I got a promotion at work—"

"Yeah, you already told me that" Marissa cut in, impatiently.

Jimmy just shook his head. "Like I was saying, I got a promotion at work and I was thinking about buying a bigger place, and I was wondering if you wanted to help me choose one?" He asked his daughter.

Marissa face lit up immediately. "A new house?!" She exclaimed. "And you want me to help you find one. I love buying houses!" She said with a bright smile on her face.

"You do?" Jimmy asked and Marissa just nodded her head. "Since when?"

"Since now" She said. "And since mom and Caleb are divorcing, I can move in with you!!"

Ryan looked confused at Marissa as if asking why she could only move in with him if they were divorcing.

"Oh, Caleb blackmailed me into living with them" She told him like it was the most normal thing. She then turned to her father. "But we won't be moving out of Newport, will we?"

"I thought you didn't like Newport" Jimmy said smiling at her and glancing looks between Ryan and Marissa.

"What gives you that idea?" Marissa asked.

He smiled. "No, we won't be moving out of Newport. I've got my job here" He assured her. "But are you sure your mother would let you move in with me?" He asked.

"Who cares what she thinks" She said. "I don't want to live with her anymore" She looked at his father. "So, how you already checked some out?" She asked her father.

"Yeah, I have some that I liked saved in the computer…" He said. "…but why don't you just check them out later" He said, looking in Ryan's direction.

"No it's okay" Ryan said. "I really should go anyway. It was nice to meet you"

"Well, technically you didn't just meet me today, but the pleasure was mine" He told the younger man.

"Ryan, it's okay. I can check them out later…" Marissa told Ryan.

"No, I should go back and tell my grandmother I got a job so she'll stop worrying" He said, shooting her a smile. "I'll see you later" He said as he walked to the door.

"Hey Ryan?" Jimmy called out, stopping him in his tracks. Ryan turned around and waited for him to say something else. "What do you think about coming over for dinner with us tonight?" He asked him.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll be able to make it" He said.

"Please?" Marissa pouted.

Ryan smiled at her. How could he turn her down when she looked that adorable? "Sure. What time do you want me here?" He asked them.

Marissa smiled back at him and looked at her father, waiting for him to answer his question.

"Six will be good" He answered him.

"Okay. So see you at six" Ryan said as he opened the door.

"Ryan, you don't want me to drive you home?" Marissa asked.

"Nah, I'll walk. It's not far anyway" He said as he stepped outside the apartment. "Bye" He said as he closed the door.

Jimmy turned to Marissa and smiled. "So, when I asked him to dinner he said no but when you did he said yes?" He teased her.

"Maybe because he didn't want you asking him questions about his dad" She pointed out. "And besides, who can turn me down?" She smirked at him.

He laughed a little. "You think quite highly about yourself" He said. "But he doesn't like talking about his father?" He asked her.

"No" She told him. "He actually only just started talking about it like a week ago" She said, shrugging her shoulders.

Jimmy just nodded his head. "So, where did you guys meet?" He asked his daughter.

"What's with the questions dad, please" She said which got Jimmy to laugh. "Fine. I met him first in the diner. It was the first night he was here and I was working…"

"And he asked you out then?"

"What? We're just friends" She assured him. "And no, I met him again in therapy as he was about to bail…so I did it with him, showed him around town and stuff"

Jimmy smiled. Looking at them earlier you could see that they obviously liked each other. "Speaking of therapy, how is it?"

"It's fine I guess…" She told him. "But can we please just go check out those houses?"

He laughed slightly and said, "Sure"